ZIP Code 59923

Libby is a city in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,775 at the 2020 census. The town is in the heart of the Kootenai Valley. The first indigenous peoples arrived at least 8,000 years ago and hunted and gathered for food. Miners flocked to Libby Creek in 1867, but the town was deserted by the 1870s. Tourism is playing an increasing role in the local economy. The Libby Dam is 17 miles upstream from Libby, one of the Treaty of Columbia River Dams, finished in 1975. Libby is known as the "City of Eagles" because of the large number of eagle sculptures found around the town, including a 60-foot (18 m) eagle at both ends of the river. The city is in-district for Flathead Valley Community College, which operates the Lincoln County Campus there. It is at an elevation of 2,096 feet (640 m) above sea level. The area's contamination from nearby vermiculite mines contaminated with particularly fragile asbestos led to the town's inclusion in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List status in 2002 and Public Health Emergency event in 2009. Most risk was reduced by 2015. It has an area of 1.95 square miles (5.05 km²), of which 1.91 sq miles (4.95 km²) is land and 0.04 sq km² (0.10 km1) is water.

History

The first indigenous peoples arrived at least 8,000 years ago and hunted and gathered for food. The earliest known American settler, David Thompson, arrived in the 1800s. Miners flocked to Libby Creek in 1867, but it was deserted by the 1870s. In 1892, with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway, the name was shortened from Libbysville toLibby. The town is now home to the town of Libby, which was founded in 1892. It is located on the banks of the Libby River, a tributary of the San Francisco Bay. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with most of its residents living in the area's valleys and lakes. It was founded by David Thompson in the early 1800s, and later became known as Libby.

Geography

Libby is on U.S. Route 2 at its junction with Montana Highway 37. It is at the confluence of Libby Creek and the Kootenai River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 1.95 square miles (5.05 km²) Libby experiences a continental climate (Köppen Dfb). The town lies in the heart of the Kootsenai Valley, downstream from the Libby Dam. Libby is at an elevation of 2,096 feet (640 m) above sea level. The town has a population of 1,816. The city is located in the K Bootsenai National Forest, between the Cabinet Mountains to the south and the Purcell mountains to the north, the town lies along the Kootinga River. It has a temperature of °C (°F) (°C) in the summer and °F in the winter. The area has a humid continental climate, with an average monthly temperature of 0.7 degrees F (0.4 degrees C) The town is located on the Kotsentai River, a tributary of the Koota River, which flows into the Missoula River. The Kootanai River flows through the town and into the Missoula River and the Montana Interior. The Libby River is one of the fastest-flowing rivers in the state, with water levels rising as high as 3,000 feet (1,100 m) in some areas.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,628 people, 1,252 households, and 647 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 0.1% African American, 1.1%. The city's population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The city has a population density of 1,375.9 inhabitants per square mile (531.2/km²). There were 1,416 housing units at an average density of 741.4 per squaremile (286.3/km 2) The city is located in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers's National Defense Training Area, which is part of the Army National Guard. The military training area is home to the National Guard’s 7th Army District, which includes the Army Air and Air National Guard, the Army Reserve, and the Air Force Reserve. It is the only unit in the region that is not in the Army or Air Force basic training. The U.N. has a training center in the area, but no plans to expand it into the rest of the state. The training center was closed in the 1990s due to budget cuts. It was the first of its kind in the United States, and is now the only one in the country. The National Guard is based in the state, and has a presence in several other states, including New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. It also has a military base in the town of Waco.

Economy and environment

Libby's economy had been largely supported in the past by the use of natural resources such as logging and mining. Mining and timber mills have since closed down. Tourism is playing an increasing role in the local economy. The Libby Dam is 17 miles (27 km) upstream from Libby, one of the Columbia River Treaty Dams, finished in 1975. The Flathead Electric Co-op began purchasing up to 2.5 megawatts of power from the F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Company in 2013 with a twenty year contract. The city also generates and sells hydroelectric energy. Libby is known as the "City of Eagles". Several eagle sculptures can be found around town, including a 60-foot (18 m) eagle at both ends of town. The local vermiculite contains asbestos, and the mine's byproducts were used in local buildings and landscaping, the town suffered from an extremely high rate of asbestosis. In 2010, W.R. Grace & Co. was acquitted of charges that it knowingly harmed the people of Libby. It was also acquitted of subsequently participating in any cover-up. By the end of 2018, the EPA had removed "more than one million cubic yards of contaminated soil," and area cleanup was completed that year, except for the location of the former mine, which is the disposal site of the contaminated soil. In 2020, a statewide appraisal of Montana public schools' solar power potential found the buildings had good potential, but installing solar panels would be financially inefficient.

Government

As of 2022 the mayor and city council members are: Peggy Williams, Gary Beach, Melissa Berke, Zachariah McNew, Kristin Smith, Hugh Taylor, and Brian Zimmerman. The mayor is Peggy Williams and the city council is Gary Beach. The city is located in the central part of the city. It is located at the center of the town's central business district. In 2022, the city has a population of 1,715. The population is expected to grow to 1,900 by the end of the decade. The town's population will grow to 2,000 by 2022. The growth rate is predicted to be 7.7%. The city's population is projected to grow by 1.8% in the next five years. The projected growth rate for the city is 7.9%. The population will reach 1,816 by 2022, according to the city's projected growth rates. The current population is 1,917. The estimated growth rate of the local government is 6.8%. The projected population for 2022 is 2,716. The predicted growth rate in the city will be 6.6%. The predicted population for the year 2022 is 3,722. The proposed growth rate, however, is 6,717. It will be the highest in the state of Michigan since the city was founded in 1894. The projection is based on population growth since the first city council was elected in 1891. The first city mayor was Peggy Williams in 1892.

Education

Libby has a public library, a branch of the Lincoln County Public Libraries. Public education in Libby is administered by the Libby School District. Flathead Valley Community College offers courses through its Lincoln County Campus. Libby Adventist Christian School and Kootenai Valley Christian School are private institutions. The Glacier Bank Adult Basic Education Learning Center "where students can take free classes in preparation for their GED exams" is located in the town. The Libby Public Library is open to the public on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on the weekend from 8 to 11 a.M. It provides programming for children and adults and online services such as mobile data hotspots for borrowing. It was established in 1920 after residents petitioned the Board of County Commissioners, the county free library first operated out of the former Libby Womans Club building. The library moved buildings for the next few decades until its current building, the Inez R. Herrig building, was built in 1964. Branches were established in other county towns, and from 1956 to 1974, a bookmobile served smaller areas. It now provides programming for kids and adults. It also provides online services like mobile data Hotspots for borrowed books and e-books. It is located near the town's airport, which is one of the largest in the state. The town has a population of about 2,000. It has two high schools, Libby Elementary School and Libby Middle-High School.

Transportation

Libby Airport is a public use airport 7 miles south of town. U.S. Route 2 and Highway 37 meet at a traffic light in the center of the town. Amtrak serves Libby through a local station. The town has a population of about 2,000. It is located in the eastern part of the state. The city is home to the Libby High School, which was founded in 1903. The school is located on the town's eastern edge. It was the site of the city's first high school, which opened in 1904. It has a high school that opened in 1905. The high school is now a college, and the town is the location of Libby's community center. It also has a public high school which was opened in 1906. The local high school opened in 1953. The Libby Public Library opened in 2008. It serves the town and has a community center, which is open to the public. The library is also home to a public radio station, which serves the area. There is also a public library in the town, which also serves the surrounding area. The community has a number of businesses, including a post office, a bank, and a post-secondary school. The village has a large amount of undeveloped land, which has been converted into apartments. It once had a school, but has since been converted to a private high school and a public park. It now has a few businesses. The area is known as "Libby" for its small population.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Libby, Lincoln County, Montana = 9.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 33. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 51. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Libby = 3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,775 individuals with a median age of 46.5 age the population dropped by -0.91% in Libby, Lincoln County, Montana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,506.51 residents per square mile of area (581.64/km²). There are average 2.1 people per household in the 1,172 households with an average household income of $29,228 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.30% of the available work force and has dropped -3.76% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 21.18%. The number of physicians in Libby per 100,000 population = 117.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Libby = 17.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 55.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 112. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 152. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 15.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 69, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Libby, Lincoln County, Montana which are owned by the occupant = 52.26%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 53 years with median home cost = $73,460 and home appreciation of -7.31%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $9.52 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,946 per student. There are 15.5 students for each teacher in the school, 456 students for each Librarian and 342 students for each Counselor. 4.74% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 6.13% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 3.94% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).